House members took in-person public feedback in Arlington, while Senate members heard from Texans virtually.
AUSTIN, Texas — State lawmakers held two hearings on congressional redistricting on Monday.
A House committee took in-person testimony in Arlington, while a Senate committee gathered in Austin only allowed virtual testimony about the idea of redrawing congressional district boundaries in Texas.
Republicans are under pressure from President Donald Trump to find a way to pick up five more seats in Congress in 2026 so they can maintain control. Democrats call it gerrymandering.
The issue is now gaining national attention, with leaders of blue states saying they may consider redrawing their maps if Texas follows through with the plan.
KVUE has learned that U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries will head to Austin on Wednesday.
Earlier in July, the U.S. Department of Justice raised concern about the current map, saying four majority minority districts were drawn based on race. However, the Republican-led state has defended the current map in court, saying it was drawn fairly.
State Sen. Borris Miles (D-Houston) said three of those four contested congressional districts overlap with his state senate district.
“This is not redistricting; this is rigged-districting,” Miles told the committee. “This is an absolute farce and disrespectful to every Black and brown citizen in this state.”
More than 100 people signed up to speak virtually at Monday’s Senate committee hearing, which focused on East Texas, including Harris County, but was open to speakers from across Texas.
“This redistricting effort is incredibly rushed,” said Brittany Payne of League City, a suburb of Houston. “How do we know that these maps have been reviewed properly to ensure they are legal and fair if the Legislature is not taking time to do so?”
Democrats on this Senate committee also criticized the decision to take testimony virtually and before a new map has been drawn.
“I recognize that the videoconferencing is a different approach than what the House is doing,” said state Sen. Phil King (R-Weatherford), the committee’s chair. “We’re able to reach out all over the state and get people from Amarillo to Beaumont, El Paso to Lufkin the opportunity participate that would not have driven to DFW or to Houston or wherever we went to.”
King said he will share any map with the committee once he sees one.
The Senate redistricting committee will hold another virtual public hearing on Tuesday morning at 9 a.m. Anyone wishing to testify has until 9 p.m. Monday to register here.
People can also submit comments about redistricting and supporting documents online here. That link will be active throughout the special session.